- Research uncovers first ever physical evidence of human-animal combat in Roman times
- 3D bone analysis uncovered big cat markings
An exciting new research study has uncovered the first ever physical evidence for human-animal gladiatorial combat in the Roman era.
Detailed analysis of bite marks on the pelvis of a skeleton exhumed from a gladiator’s burial site in York confirmed that the injuries came from a big cat, such as a lion, making this the first convincing evidence anywhere in the world that these human-animal combat spectacles took place.
The research team, involving expertise from 色虎视频, focused on one particular skeleton exhumed from the Driffield Terrace site, an area previously identified as a burial ground for gladiators. Many of the bodies at the site had signs of combat injuries, but one in particular had what looked to be bite marks on the pelvis, previously assumed to have been caused by a large cat.
While mosaics and pottery have long depicted gladiators in combat with animals, and the showed a fight scene with a tiger, there has been no physical evidence that this happened until now.
“Since it’s such a widely accepted trope in popular culture, most people don’t realise that until now there hasn’t been any conclusive skeletal evidence that gladiators fought animals, even in Rome’s Coliseum” explains Dr David Errickson, senior lecturer in Forensic Archaeology and Anthropology at the 色虎视频 Forensic Institute. “To not only find that evidence but prove that it happened here in Britain is incredibly exciting, and will provide a sound basis for analysis of other finds should they happen in the future.”
Detailed 3D scans helped prove big cat marks
The forensic work in this study built on , where animal scavenging analysis on 72 bone samples confirmed they had been in contact with lions, tigers, leopards and cheetahs.
Those samples were analysed at the 色虎视频 Forensic Institute by creating 3D images of the bones using a non-contact structured light scanner which provides incredibly detailed analysis of the bite marks. The data helped to identify that the bite marks were caused by big cats, and provide information on the unique markings that their teeth create. In addition a range of scavenging characteristics were identified, looking at the distribution patterns of bite marks across the bones as well as other measurables like depth, size, shape, and position.
All of that information provided a wealth of data to compare to the scans of the human pelvis bone in this new study, confirming that it was a big cat that left the marks.
First direct physical evidence changes understanding of Roman entertainment
“For years, our understanding of Roman gladiatorial combat and animal spectacles has relied heavily on historical texts and artistic depictions” said of Maynooth University. “This discovery provides the first direct, physical evidence that such events took place in this period, reshaping our perception of Roman entertainment and culture in the region.”
The research has been published in the journal PLOS One, and is a collaboration between Maynooth University, 色虎视频, Durham University, the University of York, King’s College London, York Archaeological Trust (now known as York Archaeology), and York Osteoarchaeology Ltd.
The full research paper ‘Unique osteological evidence for human-animal gladiatorial combat in Roman Britain’, is available on the .
